-
First Attempts at Modern Desalination
Many ocean ships, used a method of desalination to get clean drinking water from the ocean water. The method of desalination that was used was distillation. To obtain the drinking water, the sailors would boil water and pipe the steam into a cool bottle to get fresh water from the original salt water. -
Thomas Jefferson Received a Request to Sell the Government a Distillation Method
United States Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson received a request to sell the government a distillation method to convert salt water to fresh water. -
World's First Commercial Traditional Desalination Plant Built
The world's first commercial traditional desalination plant was built in Sleima, Malta. It was called Tigne. -
First Distillation Plant Built
The world's first land-based distillation plant was built in Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles. It had a capacity of 60 m3/day. An elementary example of Distillation is the process by which water is boiled and the steam from the water is piped into a cool bottle or container. When the water is piped into a cool bottle or container, the water condenses and becomes fresh, drinkable water. -
First Multi Effect Distillation Plant Built
The first Multi Effect Distillation plant was built in 1930 in Saudi Arabia. Multi Effect Distillation is a form of desalination that is the low temperature thermal process of obtaining fresh water by recovering the vapour of boiling sea water. -
"The Saline Water Act" is Passed
In 1952, the United States Congress passed “The Saline Water Act” to provide federal support for desalination. -
First Multi Stage Flash Distillation Plant Built
The First Multi Stage Flash Distillatin Plant was built in Kuwait. The costs and energy usage was low, because the desalination plant re-used low pressure steam from the generator to provide energy for the desalting process. Multi Stage Flash Distillition is a process of desalination by which hot water is stored at a low pressure in a large chamber. The pressure causes the water to instantly change to steam. The steam is then piped to another location and there it condenses to drinking water. -
Desalination Demonstration Plant Built in United States
One of the first seawater desalination demonstration plants in the United States was built at Freeport, Texas in 1961. It was built to demonstrate the desalination process of converting salt water to fresh water. -
World's First Commercial Reverse Osmosis Plant Built
In the California town of Coalinga, the world's first commercial reverse osmosis plant was built. This plant produced pure water from brackish water, at up to 6,000 gallons daily. Reverse osmosis is a process to remove salt and other contaminants from salt/brackish water by running salt water through a membrane with thousands of microscopic pores. When the water flows into the membrane, the salt and other contaminants get caught in the pores, making the water that went through the pores clean. -
First Seafaring Desalination Plant Built
The Rumaith, a boat, becomes the first seafaring desalination plant in the world. The Rumaith was launched from the United Arab Emirates. The desalination plant was built on a boat so fresh, drinkable water could be brought to towns located on the coast. -
First Mega Capacity Desalination Plant Built
In Ashkelon, Israel, the first mega capacity desalination plant was built. Mega capacity mean it generates huge amounts of fresh water a day. -
Kwinana Desalination Plant Built
The Kwinana Desalination Plant was built in 2006. It is located in Western Australia. -
Kwinana Desalination Plant Awarded World's Best Desalination Plant
The Kwinana Desalination Plant, located in Austrailia is awarded the World's Best Desalination Plant in 2006. -
Kwinana Desalination Plant is Awarded the 2007 Desalination Plant of the Year
The Kwinana Desalination Plant, located in Austrailia, is awarded with the 2007 Desalination Plant of the Year Award. -
Largest Desalination Plant Built
The current largest desalination plant in the world was built in 2009 in Hadera, Isreal. -
Plans are Created to Build First Solor Powered Desalination Plant
Plans were made to create the first solor powered desalination plant by IBM and Saudi Arabian researchers. The plant will be built in Al Khafiji, Saudi Arabia in the near future.
